Steve Wildsmith

When last we caught up with East Tennessee musical entrepreneur and musical genius Arrison Kirby, he was resurrecting his El Deth label with some reissues and preparing for reentry into the local music scene. That was two years ago; we’re happy to report that he hasn’t gone missing in the Bermuda Triangle and is, in fact, ready to debut a band new band that — for now — is going by the name of Pocket Strength.

We caught up with him this week at practice with his new bandmates, Katie Collins and Megan Driscoll, and he told us what he’s been up to.

“I’ve been doing solo sets here and there, and out of a night of hanging out me and Katie and Megan got together and decided to come together musically,” he said. “I was making beats and playing guitar, Katie was playing ukulele and Omnichord and Megan was singing and playing flute. We decided to take it Rachel Jae, who’s a theatrical director, and she, in turn, got her boyfriend involved — Dane Hill. He’s a cool guy and a good musician, and he’s been playing drums and bass.

“We’ve been taking songs I have written, plus some new covers and fleshing the project out.”

On Aug. 25, the band played at The Pilot Light with Katie and the Bass Drums, a show that was originally booked as Arrison Kirby solo.

“By that point, we could do all this, so we decided we might as well put on a show,” Kirby said. “I did about three songs by myself, and then they came out and joined in. We had a good turnout, and we had some theatrics to it — a fog machine, everything we could muster. We try to evolve it every time.”

After struggling through a relationship that he says sucked the life out of him, he feels like he’s back on track musically. El Deth isn’t making money hand over fist, but he did recoup the expenses for putting out “Inkling” by Senryu, and he’s looking forward to what’s ahead.

“The eternal goal always is to erect some massively huge conglomeration type of project, and I feel like I’m back on that path toward that,” he said.

Personally, we feel that’s a good thing — Kirby and his El Deth label add a much-needed dose of avant-garde, quirkiness and experimentalism that every scene sorely needs.

FREE MUSIC!

DOWNLOAD “ALL OF ME ALL OF US,” BY ARRISON KIRBY: Right-click here (choose “Save Link As” or “Save Target As”)

A few weeks ago in East Tennessee Dirt, we told you about those dangerous ’80s rockers in Gun*Slinger and how they got kicked out of Irish Times Pub in West Knoxville for rocking too hard.

They’re at it again — this time trying to promote Saturday night’s show at Big Daddy’s Scoots and Sports Bar and Grill, 2641 Highway 411 S. in Maryville. Singer Cole Graham and fellow ‘Slinger Blake Rider stopped by The Daily Times the other day, trying to figure out what to do with the more than 500 flyers they had printed for the show — a gift from a friend who works at a print shop who, despite the goodness of his heart, didn’t think about how the guys would distribute them all.

They tried Wal-Mart in Alcoa; the cops were called. They thought about the Maryville College campus, but Rider says he’s “banned for life” over an incident involving a girl. And they did hit another local bar that has declined to book Gun*Slinger — an establishment that shall remain nameless — and did a commando-style papering of all the cars in its parking lot. (Graham even strolled in and handed out flyers to patrons before management blew a gasket and threatened to summon the law.)

Truly, these dudes are some bad boys — but ain’t that what rock ‘n’ roll is all about? Besides, they’re just trying to let everybody know — Saturday’s show takes place at 9 p.m., is free and will feature the first performance of every song from the band’s forthcoming new album, “Dangerous Curves Ahead.” The guys are looking to finance the record by pre-selling copies — which means you make a donation up front, the band pays for studio time and you get a new album when it’s done. It’s a good plan, a good way for struggling bands to get their music recorded and a way for fans to help out up front. Check out the band’s website for info on how to donate.

FREE MUSIC!

DOWNLOAD “PICK UR POISON,” BY GUN*SLINGER: Right-click here (choose “Save Link As” or “Save Target As”)

OK, everybody sing along now: “Happy birthday to you … happy birthday to you … happy birthday Smoky Mountain Harley-Davidson … happy birthday …”

You get the idea. It’s the annual Labor Day/birthday bash celebration this weekend out at Smoky Mountain Harley-Davidson, 1820 W. Lamar Alexander Parkway in Maryville, and to commemorate the occasion, owner Scott Maddux and his crack team of motorcycle and music enthusiasts have a full weekend of events planned.

Saturday night, there’s the annual visit by country-rock hooligans the Kentucky Headhunters with opening act The Van Lears; the show starts at 8 p.m., and tickets are $20. On Sunday night, Blount County’s own The Drunk Uncles, with their pal and roots-music ace Larry Cordle, will take the stage at 8 p.m.; tickets to that show are $10. But it’s tonight’s headliner who’s getting a lot of press these days — piano man Leon Russell, he who resembles Gandalf the White and has played with just about everyone on the planet, from the Rolling Stones to George Harrison.

His most recent project is the one getting the most attention these days — “The Union,” a collaborative album with Elton John. The new record, produced by Oscar and multiple-Grammy winning producer T Bone Burnett, marks the first time these iconic artists have worked together since 1970. It was recorded live in the studio with Elton and Leon on dueling pianos, features 14 songs (including ones written by Elton and his lifelong lyricist Bernie Taupin, as well as the combined songwriting team of Leon, Elton, Bernie and T Bone).

According to a recent press release, Leon first met Elton in 1970 when he attended Elton’s first ever U.S. show at the famous Troubadour in Los Angeles. The meeting heralded the beginning of a long friendship and a mutual appreciation between the two artists.  “In the late ’60s and early ’70s, the one piano player and vocalist who influenced me more than anybody else was Leon Russell,” Elton said.  “He was my idol.”  The pair went on to tour together shortly thereafter at New York’s Fillmore East and to this day have held such high admiration for each other’s work.

After years of being out of touch, Elton listened to Leon’s music while on safari in Africa last summer and was inspired to reconnect with his idol.  “Elton called to ask if I would do a duet album with him,’” Russell said.  “I’m very happy that he chose me to do this.”

Russell’s performance takes place at 8 tonight; tickets are $25. Husky Burnette opens the show.

OK, so technically “Going the Distance,” which opens today at area theaters (including Carmike Foothills 12), stars Drew Barrymore and Justin Long. But the guys in British-based indie-rock band The Boxer Rebellion, which includes Maryville boy Nathan Nicholson, get some screen time as well.

On one of the band’s first visit to the United States (well … a working visit, we mean. Nicholson, after all, grew up here in Blount County.) — back in August 2009 — the guys spent some time in Manhattan, filming a background scene for the romantic comedy. It all started, Nicholson told me on Thursday, when the band performed a Los Angeles show at The Troubadour. As with most Hollywood stories, a friend of a friend ended up knowing someone at New Line Cinema who came to the show and saw some potential in the band.

“It just so happened they happened to have this movie and needed a band in our situation, and we seemed to fit that role pretty well,” Nicholson said. “They gave us a script and passed us along to the director, who was in New York. We played New York a couple of days later and the director came out to see us and it just happened from there. It was a very smooth kind of transaction.”

Filming for the band took place over a couple of different weeks. Compared to the experience of making music videos, having a small role in a big-budget romantic comedy was a bit mind-blowing, Nicholson added.

“They shut down a whole block of New York City and had about 250 crew (members) and 300 extras,” he said. “They have really long days — they start about 7 a.m. — but we didn’t do our thing until 8 p.m. So we were there for 13 hours before we did anything, just sitting around watching it all go on and taking it in.”

The two leads introduced themselves to the band and have since become friendly; they hung out with the band members at the London and Los Angeles premieres and even introduced The Boxer Rebellion at the British V Festival. The band, which appears on stage twice during the film (but have no speaking lines, unfortunately), performs two songs and wrote a third — the new “If You Run” — for the soundtrack.

“It was pretty random and quite surreal,” he added.

If you’ve seen commercials for the film, you’ve heard The Boxer Rebellion — the band’s song “Spitting Fire,” off of the album “Union,” is playing during practically the whole thing. If you’re on the fence for the October 12 performance by the band at the Clayton Center for the Arts on the Maryville College campus, perhaps hearing the music in the film will change your mind. Or, you can download the free .mp3 below.

We’ve told you all about the band numerous times, but in case you’re discovering this blog for the first time on this post, here’s a recap: In January 2009, the band released “Union,” its sophomore album (a follow-up to 2005’s “Exits”) — a self-financed album that was available solely through iTunes. Within 24 hours of its release, “Union” had peaked at No. 4 on the iTunes U.S. Albums Chart, No. 5 on the iTunes UK Albums Chart, and knocking My Morning Jacket off the top-spot to take No. 1 on the iTunes U.S. Alternative Chart. The album was disqualified from entering the Official UK Albums Chart as no physical CD was in stores at the time, but that didn’t stop the band becoming the first unsigned band in history to enter the Billboard Albums Charts at No. 82 on a digital-only release.

Last December, iTunes declared “Union” its Alternative Album of the Year. This summer, the band recently completed work on “The Cold Still,” its forthcoming third album, with acclaimed producer Ethan Johns.

DOWNLOAD “EVACUATE,” by The Boxer Rebellion: Right-click here (choose “Save Link As” or “Save Target As”)

I love it when local bands get the recognition they deserve on a national level. It doesn’t happen nearly often enough.

One such group, the hardcore outfit Straight Line Stitch, is getting some national exposure these days, and yesterday I got a press release in ye olde e-mail inbox about two upcoming tours by the Knoxville outfit — opening for 36 Crazyfists and Soulfly. Straight Line Stitch earned a reputation as one of Knoxville’s heaviest bands shortly after forming in 1999, when the members changed the name from Machines of Hate.

Here’s the press release on the tour:

“We are excited and honored to be supporting 36 CRAZY FISTS on their first national headlining run. When we’re out with those boys it feels like home because we know all of them so well and it just makes for a much more fun experience. It’s going to be a party for sure!” says Straight Line Stitch front woman Alexis Brown.

Alexis continues, “We get to tour with SOULFLY too? WOW! That about sums it up. We have been fans of SOULFLY since day one. They have been rockin’ out for a minute, and now that we get to support them just makes everything that much sweeter. We’re really looking forward to sharing the stage with them and hopefully learning a thing or two along the way.”

There’s no Knoxville date on the schedule … yet. Here’s the closest SLS shows:

October 05th Atlanta, GA – The Masquerade (w/ 36 Crazyfists and Taking Dawn)

December 04th Cleveland, OH – House Of Blues (w/ Soulfly and Incite)

The band, incidentally, features Alexis Brown on vocals, Seth Thacker and Pat Pattison on guitar, Jason White on bass, and Kanky Lora on drums. Their latest release on eONe/Raging Nation Records, “When Skies Wash Ashore,” is in stores now.

Here’s hoping East Tennessee is a little kinder to singer-songwriter Natalie Merchant when she returns to town for a performance next week.

Merchant, who first made a name for herself as the front woman for 10,000 Maniacs from 1981-93 before going solo, will perform Tuesday, Aug. 31, at The Tennessee Theatre in downtown Knoxville. I interviewed her for this Friday’s edition of The Daily Times Weekend entertainment section, and while she laughs at the memories, it’s clear her previous performances in our fair area didn’t always go well.

“I have a really clear memory of playing in Knoxville the last time — it was in 1999, I think,” she said. “I remember I asked if anyone had a horse so I could go horseback riding, and someone did, so they took me — and the horse bolted and ran into the forest. I’m not a very experienced rider, so I told them to give me the oldest, most tame mare they could find. They did, and it still bolted.”

The coup de grace as far as Knoxville stories go, however, was a performance previous to that, when 10,000 Maniacs was opening for R.E.M. (From what I can find online, that would have been Oct. 1, 1987, at Stokely Athletic Center on the University of Tennessee campus.) Merchant and R.E.M. singer Michael Stipe have long been friends, but that particular appearance didn’t end well for Merchant.

“The footlights had been trained on Michael’s chest, but they hit me in the face,” she said. “As the warm-up band, you don’t have the luxury of a soundcheck and testing out the stage. I went out on the first song and was completely blinded, got tangled up in a cord, fell off the stage and sprained both knees.”

Wait … it gets better, she added. It was cold outside, and when the crew took her to a local hospital, she didn’t think to grab her coat. Someone else did, however, and as they were pushing her into the hospital, someone draped the jacket around her shoulders.

“They took me to the maternity ward because they thought I was going into labor!” Merchant said with a laugh. “A nurse came over and asked, ‘How close are the contractions?’ I said, ‘I’m not having a baby! I fell off the stage and sprained my knees!’”

On a more serious note, she’s had a baby in the years since — daughter Lucia, born in 2003 — and being a mother in today’s world, especially for a socially conscious artist like Merchant, isn’t always easy, she added.

“Many aspects of the world have become unbearable to me now — the cruelty, the wanton destruction,” she said. “I have this vested interest in the future, and when I hear about ocean temperatures rising and how all the fish in the ocean might be dead in 50 years — that’s in my child’s lifetime. Before, I would have thought, ‘That’s tragic, but I’ll be gone.’ Now I feel it’s my responsibility to care more. I should have cared before, because other people’s children were going to live to see it, but I certainly do now.

“For the first two years of my daughter’s life, I would get physically ill reading the newspaper. I realized everyone who perpetrated a crime, every victim of a crime — whether it was a petty crime on the street or a crime against humanity like what’s happened in Darfur or Kosovo — all those people were infants and completely innocent at one time. What the hell went wrong?

“I keep turning to a lack of love,” she added. “There just isn’t enough love in the world. People spend their entire lives searching for the love they didn’t get from their parents.”

Needing your Scott Miller fix? It’s been a while since the old boy played East Tennessee — back in April, when he performed at “The Shed” at Smoky Mountain Harley-Davidson — but he’ll remedy that on Friday, when he does a little solo acoustic show at 8 p.m. at The Square Room, 4 Market Square in downtown Knoxville. He’ll no doubt draw on a few choice tracks from his time with local Americana rock band The V-Roys, as well as his most excellent solo albums — from “Thus Always to Tyrants” to last year’s “For Crying Out Loud.” We checked in with him this week, and he told us he’s been holed up in Fountain City, working on songs for his next studio album, and if he deems one of the new songs worthy, he might debut it on Friday. Other than that — well, he tells us he grew his beard back, and he’s getting advances of his new Christmas EP this week. We feel a holiday concert may be in the works — although, given Miller’s quirky nature, it probably won’t be the traditional kind. Check him out in the meantime on Friday; tickets are $15 in advance and $18 at the door.

A buddy of mine sent me a tribute video of Barry “Byrd” Burton, a founding member of long-gone Knoxville band The Loved Ones. Burton died in 2008, and someone went to a lot of trouble to gather photos and clips of Byrd for the aforementioned YouTube video. It’s a touching tribute, and it reminded me of the conversation I had with Byrd back in 2004, when The Loved Ones were getting back together to perform at the inaugural MetroFest in downtown Knoxville. (The very same one where Rus Harper of Teenage Love13 got arrested for mooning the crowd.)

That story is stuck in our archives, unfortunately — which means you have to pay to access it — but to hell with that. Here it is in its entirety, because I just wanted to.

By Steve Wildsmith
stevew@thedailytimes.com

Barry “Byrd” Burton never thought Saturday’s reunion show by 1960s rock band The Loved Ones , one of the first original bands in Knoxville, would cause so much commotion.

But the gathering of Burton , Terry Johnson and Mike Coyner, appearing onstage together for the first time in almost 30 years, is the buzz of the Knoxville music scene — especially for those around during The Loved Ones‘ heyday.

“I can’t say that our status didn’t occur to me, but it certainly wasn’t anything I ever pondered,” Burton said during an interview this week. “It’s just something we did, at the time and place where and when we were. Let’s just say that a lot of things came together all at the same time for us.”

The Loved Ones will perform, along with a handful of other bands, on Saturday on Market Square Mall in downtown Knoxville. It’s the inaugural MetroFest, put together by Metro Pulse to raise money for a proposed park and to pay tribute to East Tennessee’s storied music scene.

The Loved Ones date back to the 1960s, when The Beatles and The Rolling Stones inspired kids to pick up guitars and start their own groups. It was an era of youthful exuberance and freedom, a time when Beat poets and ’60s radicals encouraged independent thought and the shaking free of the shackles of conformity.

And just as the lure of excess took its toll on big-time bands in those days, so it did on The Loved Ones as well. Coyner replaced the late Dorian Rush, who died during the band’s heyday, and while this weekend’s reunion was still in the planning stages, death claimed bassist and founding member Doug Graham as well.

Burton, modest in his assessment of The Loved Ones‘ role in East Tennessee’s rock scene, said the decision to go ahead with Saturday’s show was made for the benefit of the band members as much as it was the public.

“We’re hardly John, Paul, George and Ringo, but Doug’s passing has added another dimension to it for us,” he said. “For us, it is sort of a healing process. The guy who’s going to play bass with us on Saturday was always kind of a fifth Loved One and was a member of the band for a while in the second round.”

Burton, who session work is in high demand in Nashville, said the biggest adjustment, besides being back in the Loved Ones lineup, will be putting his vocal chops to work once again.

“I haven’t sung much in years, and now I’m going to have to sing again,” he said with a chuckle. “From that point of view, it scares me a little. I don’t mind the playing — I play every day. It’s just a matter of playing different songs.

“And without Doug, it’s going to be weird playing these songs. I haven’t played some of them in 30 years, and I’ve never played them without him. Whatever happens, he’ll certainly be there in spirit.”

And so will an outpouring of good will and fellowship, as those who followed in the wake of The Loved Ones ‘ success — from Boogie Disease to R.B. Morris to members of the Lonesome Coyotes — pull up a chair to watch their forebears once again show them how it’s done.

“I’ve been living in a world where every note has to be just right, and on Saturday, I’m going to put aside constant striving for musical perfection and just have fun,” said Burton, who left The Loved Ones and went on to serve as guitarist and producer for the ’70s country-rock outfit the Amazing Rhythm Aces. “If it’s not all right, it won’t matter It won’t matter if someone plays the wrong note or sings flat.

“Because if the four of us can have fun, everybody will have fun.”

Even the spirits of those long and recently departed, which will no doubt linger in the shadows, where the echoes of old rock songs played with renewed vigor settle like late-afternoon rain.

Steve Wildsmith is the Weekend editor. Contact him at steve.wildsmith@thedailytimes.com or at 981-1144

In case you haven’t heard, there’s a massive electronic music festival taking place over Halloween weekend in nearby Asheville, N.C. — Moogfest, slated for Oct. 29-31.

It’s designed to honor the vision and invention of Robert Moog, who called Asheville home during the last 30 years of his life; previously, the festival has been held in New York. This year, it’ll take place at various venues in downtown Asheville and include a lot of latitude for the performers. According to the site, “While the wide range of Moog instruments – the Minimoog Voyager, the Little Phatty, the Etherwave Theremin, Moogerfoogers, and the new Moog Guitar – will play prominent roles throughout the festival’s events, the artists performing will certainly not be limited to those who create their work on Moog instruments. Instead, artists will be chosen for their role in creating unique and groundbreaking musical experiences that embody the essence of Bob Moog’s visionary and creative spirit.”

One of those artists is Derek Vincent Smith — the artist known as Pretty Lights, who’s coming to town for a show next week (Aug. 25) at The Valarium. I asked him about Moogfest when I interviewed him recently.

“I’m excited about my fall tour as a whole because of a lot of new things will be going on, and there are new production elements I’m bringing to the stage,” he said. “Asheville’s one of the coolest cities in the country, and also I love Moog. I’ve been into the factory before, I’ve seen live Moog performances, and I’ve always used the gear they create — even before creating the Pretty Lights project.

“I’m really pumped about that show. Hopefully it’s gonna kick off the fall tour in a big way.”

The Clayton Center for the Arts over on the Maryville College campus got a test run when it opened at the beginning of the year, but now officials are preparing for the facility’s first full season of performances.

Clayton Center Executive Director Robert Hutchens unveiled the 2010-11 season for the center this week, and it includes something for everyone — literally — including some big names in jazz and bluegrass. Here’s what’s headed to Maryville this year:

• Neil Berg’s “100 Years of Broadway” (8 p.m. Sept. 17 in the main theater): Five of Broadway’s leading performers as well as an all-star New York band come to town to perform the most beloved and memorable songs from a century of Broadway musical history, including recent as well as more traditional hits. Not only do they perform — they do so as the characters and scenes from which the songs come.
• Richter/Uzur (7:30 p.m. Oct. 26 in the Lambert Recital Hall): A duo fusing rock , folk and classical  to create a sound that is modern, traditional and unique.
• Sam Bush with Missy Raines and New Hip (8 p.m. Nov. 5 on the main stage): One of the season’s headliners, Bush has been called “The King of Telluride,” “The Founder of New Grass” and “The Heir to Bill Monroe.” He’s an award-winning master of banjo, fiddle, and mandolin and has shared the stage with such luminaries as Lyle Lovett and Garth Brooks. Raines is a seven-time winner of the International Bluegrass Music Association Bass Player of the Year Awards and will be performing with her band, New Hip.
• Robert deMaine and Andrew Armstrong (7:30 p.m. Nov. 16 in the Lambert Recital Hall): First chair cellist of the Detroit Symphony (deMaine) and internationally renowned pianist (Armstrong) perform an evening of intimate classical music
• American Spiritual Ensemble (8 p.m. Jan. 15, 2011, on the main stage): Part of the Martin Luther King Jr. celebration on campus, featuring the spellbinding singing of John Wesley Wright, who entertained at the center’s opening-night gala. He’s just one member of the ensemble, a group of professional soloists who combine their voices in a chorus of tribute to the soul-stirring spiritual.
• The Aluminum Show (8 p.m. Jan. 21 on the main stage): Like Pilobolus and The Blue Man Group, the Israeli troupe of “dancers”  has defined its own genre.  Clad in  imaginative, often bizarre, structures of recycled aluminum, the  performers execute a choreography of shapes and colors that surprise, intrigue and enchant
• Flamenco Vivo Carlota Santana (7:30 p.m. Feb. 1 on the main stage): An evening of culture and art featuring dancers celebrating the national dance and songs  of Spain.
• “All Shook Up,” the musical (8 p.m. Feb. 11 on the main stage): Featuring the songbook of Elvis Presley, telling the story of a teenage rebel shaking up a small town.
• “The Comedy of Errors” (7:30 p.m. March 9 on the main stage): The Acting Company of New York City presents one of Shakespeare’s most farcical, accessible plays.
• The Passing Zone (7:30 p.m. March 19 on the main stage): Comedy-juggling team that’s been in the Guinness Book of World Records four times, they’ll juggle everything from human beings to chainsaws.
• “An Evening With Groucho Marx” (6:30 p.m. March 26 in the William Baxter Lee Grand Foyer): Actor Frank Ferrante transforms himself into the legendary screen and comedic legend for a night of dinner theater in the Clayton Center’s foyer.
• Chris Brubeck and Triple Play (8 p.m. April 8 on the main stage): The son of legendary jazz composer and pianist Dave Brubeck comes to town with Joel Brown and Madcat Ruth to perform their melange of blues, rock, folk and, of course, jazz.

And those shows are on top of what’s already been announced:

• “On Golden Pond,” presented by the Foothills Community Players, Sept. 10-12 and Sept. 16-19 on the main stage
• “Between Two Worlds: My Life and Captivity in Iran,” a talk by Roxana Saberi at 7:30 p.m. Sept. 15 on the main stage (admission is free)
• Wood and Strings Puppet Theatre at 9 a.m. and 12:30 p.m. Sept. 28 on the main stage;
• British rock band The Boxer Rebellion (fronted by Blount County native Nathan Nicholson) at 8 p.m. Oct. 12 on the main stage. Tickets are now on sale (via box office walk-up only for the time being) and are $12, $18 and $20; and
• Nations of Unity present “An Evening of Native American Entertainment,” 7 p.m. Oct. 30 on the main stage; $25/$12 children.

As far as ticket sales go — 12 of the events are being offered in subscription series of different sizes through Sept. 19.  Patrons who buy a series of five to seven performances will receive a 10 percent discount; those wanting 8 to 11 performances get a 15 percent discount; and those who purchase tickets for all 12 get a 25 percent discount. Regarding single-ticket sales — excluding the Groucho Marx dinner theater show, the average ticket price is $16.09 for adult economy tickets (average price for students and seniors — $12.50).

To reserve seats for any of the shows, call the Clayton Center box office at (865) 981-8590, visit the center online or go by the box office between 10 a.m. and 6 p.m. Monday through Friday. Tickets go on sale Thursday, Aug. 19.